PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani has pledged to take more steps for development of physiotherapy, saying its importance in medical field is by no means less than that of clinical sciences.

“Both the fields are of equal importance and have their own place in the health delivery system. The importance and scarcity of physiotherapists in our country came to the fore in the tragedy of 2005 earthquake, though it is very important in the developed world,” he told participants of a seminar held in connection with World Physical Therapy Day at Khyber Medical University (KMU) on Thursday.

Mr Ghani said that it was an ideal treatment as medication had many side effects but physiotherapy had no side effects.

He said that painkillers had temporary benefits but were not permanent cure for any disease.

“If physiotherapy is used from day one, we can avoid many complications that occur through self-medication,” he added.

He said that instead of running after government jobs, the new generation should create employment opportunities not only for themselves but also for the youth around them through their medical services.

Mr Ghani said that the main function of universities should be research, innovation and commercialisation.

He said universities had to move towards self-reliance instead of relying on government funds.

He said western countries did not have natural resources nor did they have abundance of agriculture and human resources but they were leading the world in economic and medical fields owing to their focus on research and applied sciences.

“Allah Almighty has endowed us with immense natural and human resources so if we also move forward by focusing on research and applied sciences then the day is not far when Pakistan will also be among the developed countries,” said Mr Ghani.

He said that he would talk to the provincial government to resolve the issue of physiotherapist house jobs on a permanent basis. He hoped that the issue would be resolved soon.

Addressing the function, KMU Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said that the field of physiotherapy was neglected in the past.

“In the past it was a three-year diploma, now it has become a five-year Doctor of Physical Therapy degree programme,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2021